


Kick to the Tempo

by everywintersbreath



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Attempt at Humor, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Kidnapping, M/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Superhero Hwang Minhyun, Superhero Kim Jaehwan, Superhero Ong Seongwu, Superpowers, Supervillain Kang Daniel, but not really, cursing, daniel just wants to do good but is misguided
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-08-28 12:27:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16723395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everywintersbreath/pseuds/everywintersbreath
Summary: Seoul's most irritating villain, "Euigeon", has been a thorn in Seongwoo's side for a long time now.Maybe it's fate that they meet like this.





	1. Oh No, What Happened?

**Author's Note:**

> fic title and chapter title from cher lloyd's superhero
> 
> i just rewatched broduce and w1 go so here is my garbage dump
> 
> !!!!!!!TW: a character is drugged (put to sleep temporarily) if this bothers you stay safe!!!!!!!!!!

Euigeon (as he calls himself), or The Most Annoying Asshole In Seoul (as Seongwoo calls him), has decided to test Seongwoo’s patience once again.

Seongwoo’s legs are about at their breaking point, the speed boosts that his ice geysers allow him paling in comparison to the flaming trails left behind by Euigeon. It’s also a hell of a lot harder to breathe when some jerk is literally blowing smoke in your face. This level of aerobic activity is something that even Seongwoo’s nasty eleventh-grade life fitness class couldn’t have prepared him for.

“Stop running!” Seongwoo screams over the wind, sliding across yet another rooftop. His fingers are going to be coated in rugburn. The seams of his gloves have already begun to split and it’s entirely Euigeon’s fault. If Seongwoo ever does end up catching him (unlikely), he’ll definitely make the guy buy him new ones. 

Euigeon laughs, the deep sound carrying back. Admittedly, it is a nice laugh. If Seongwoo were a villain, he’d probably tap that just for the laugh, but he’s not, and he should NOT be thinking like that. “And why should I do that?” Euigeon calls teasingly.

Seongwoo grits his teeth, imagining how long he’ll have to shower to get the stink of sweat out of his hair. It had looked nice today too. He barely even needed to comb it in the morning, and now that’s gone to waste. Euigeon’s just being extra annoying at this point anyway, considering how many times they’ve had this exact same conversation before. “You committed a crime! As a defender of justice, I cannot allow any criminal act to go unpunished!”

Even Seongwoo wants to cringe at the formality of his own words. He’s starting to sound like Minhyun, which is probably not a good thing. Euigeon just laughs again, slipping down a crack between buildings. Seongwoo is forced to skid to a halt, toppling down after him and scraping the arm of his uniform on some annoying decoration someone had hung off their windowsill. 

He resists the urge to curse, creating a spiral of ice to lessen the fall so he can sprint after Euigeon. All of a sudden, they turn a corner, reaching a dead end. Seongwoo is quick to act, spraying ice over Euigeon’s head to try and trap him in the alley. Euigeon looks back at him, catlike mask revealing nothing. 

For a moment, Seongwoo’s heart soars. Maybe he’s finally got him. 

“Bye-bye, Ong!” Euigeon calls, reaching up to burn a hole through the ice just as one of his (equally irritating, but less harmless) compadres drops through, grabbing one of his gloved hands and teleporting away. 

Seongwoo just about wants to cry. 

-

“Minhyunnnnnn,” he whines, slumping on the living room couch. Minhyun sighs, sparing him a sidelong glance and then returning his focus to reading whatever dumb magazine Jaehwan had insisted on buying for their coffee table this week. They seem to get more ridiculous as they go judging from the immense stack the trio has amassed. “Please take a shower,” Minhyun replies, sniffing.

Seongwoo rolls his eyes, sliding down even more into what must be the most uncomfortable way in which to sit on a couch known to man. “I failed at catching Euigeon again. I’m literally gonna go insane at this point. Please pity me.”

“You suck so much, Seongwoo!” Jaehwan yells from the other room, probably playing Guitar Hero. Minhyun exhales sharply, putting down the magazine and glancing over at Seongwoo. “Don’t listen to him. He’s upset because I asked him to help me vacuum. You’re doing the best you can, even I can tell that.”

Minhyun trails off, eyes tracing Seongwoo’s tattered suit. “It’s likely that he’s targeting you alone since he never seems to appear when Jaehwan and I are out. I don’t know what his motivation might be, but it’s already an unfair fight when you never have any help and he always does.”

“I was expecting you to insult me,” Seongwoo replies. “But thanks, really. I appreciate it.”

Minhyun hums, continuing to examine him. “You should take your suit over to Jinyoung as soon as possible. I would offer to do it for you, but the fine dust levels are high today.”

From the other room, Jaehwan cackles at that comment, and Seongwoo simply slides further off the couch to the point where he’s mostly on the floor. “Ugh,” he mutters.

“Take a shower first,” Minhyun repeats simply, picking the magazine back up and turning the page.

-

Two days later, after Euigeon has burned all the hairs off of one of Seongwoo’s arms (like seriously? why couldn’t he at least do both) and caused him to wax the other one to make them match (which had not been a fun experience for anyone involved), Jaehwan comes up with a “brilliant idea”.

“We should go clubbing,” he exclaims brightly, standing right in front of the television that the other two are watching.  
“Absolutely not,” Minhyun replies within milliseconds. 

“Come on, hyung,” Jaehwan whines. “Seongwoo’s been rotting in misery all day. It’ll cheer him up. Plus, maybe you can finally lose your virginity!”

“I am not a virgin,” Minhyun argues, crossing his arms. “And I will be doing no such sexual acts.”

Seongwoo hums, staring right at the seam of Jaehwan’s ugly lime green shirt. “Maybe he’s right,” he muses, earning a betrayed look from Minhyun. “I mean, no matter what you say, Minhyun, Jaehwan’s still going to go. If you come, you can at least look after him.”

“I don’t see why you couldn’t do that,” Minhyun grumbles, but it’s clear Seongwoo’s won. The weird little crush that the two of them have on each other is a weapon that always can be used to his advantage. “Hell yeah!” Jaehwan yells, pumping one fist. Minhyun sighs in defeat, already seeming to regret his choice. 

“Alright, Minhyun,” Seongwoo commands. “Help me find an outfit.”

 

Jaehwan frowns, hands on his hips. “Why not ask me?”

 

Seongwoo just stares at his lime green shirt, receiving a tongue stuck in his direction. “Whatever, asshole. I’m totally gonna bring someone hotter home.”

The look on Minhyun’s face is almost worth recording, but Seongwoo just laughs instead. “Sure, sure. Whatever you say, Jaehwan.”

-

The club that Jaehwan drags them to is not exactly the nicest establishment. 

It’s too hot and too seedy, the kind of place that will certainly make Minhyun sullen. The floor is dirty and it’s extremely crowded. Even Seongwoo, who thrives on people’s attention, thinks it’s a bit much.

He heads for the bar first, claiming a stool and looking out over the floor before deciding on whether or not to dance. Seongwoo, after all, has very high regard for his own dancing ability. If no opportunities present themselves, he might as well not bother.

“Here sir,” the bartender says suddenly, making Seongwoo spin on his stool. “It’s from the blonde gentleman over there.”

Seongwoo looks up, surprised, meeting eyes with a bunny-looking man, his blonde hair tucked neatly around his face, cute lips pulling up into a little, embarrassed smile when Seongwoo meets his gaze. Wow, Seongwoo thinks. He’s just so good looking that he can’t sit at a bar for three seconds without someone buying him a drink. 

Egotism aside, the guy is pretty cute, especially considering the contrast between his face and what Seongwoo can see of his physique, and so he half-assedly winks at him. The stranger’s face goes bright red, which makes Seongwoo’s stomach churn happily. He likes people that like him. 

The man stands up, eyes still locked with Seongwoo’s, walking over, moving through the crowd with ease. Eventually, he deposits himself on the stool beside Seongwoo, his own drink in hand, smiling in a way that’s so innocent it almost makes Seongwoo want to reach out and squeeze his cheeks. 

“Thanks for the drink,” Seongwoo says, smiling at him in the coy way that he knows the boys usually like. He’s made sure to look extra pretty tonight, and it seems to be paying off. The man beams, nodding his head rapidly, the sound of Seongwoo’s finger tapping the bar counter lost under the loud music.

“I hope you like it. I’ve never really done this before.”

“I do,” Seongwoo responds, leaning his head forward onto his palm and looking up at the man through his thick eyelashes. “And you’re doing wonderfully, handsome. Care to tell me your name?”

For a moment, he thinks he’s laid it on a bit too hard, but then the man’s flushing redder than before, stumbling. “I’m, uh, Daniel.”

“Nice to meet you, uh Daniel. I’m Seongwoo.”

 

“Don’t tease me,” Daniel whines, his smile still wide. Seongwoo giggles, sitting up to take a swig of the drink that Daniel’s so generously provided him. “So, Daniel,” he begins. “Do you like to dance?”

-

Daniel, it turns out, is an incredible dancer. Seongwoo’s sort of impressed, especially with the way Daniel seems to instinctively know how to move together during the high points in the music despite “never really having done this before”. 

Seongwoo’s getting really into it, waving off Minhyun and Jaehwan when they find him to tell him that they’re leaving (read: Minhyun finds him, clutching a passed-out Jaehwan). Dancing with Daniel is way more fun than going home and watching Minhyun watch The Notebook again would be. 

Seongwoo laughs, clutching Daniel’s broad shoulders harder, his head starting to feel light. He doesn’t remember drinking very much, and Seongwoo’s never been much of a lightweight anyway, so he isn’t sure why he’s feeling so drowsy. Is it the Daniel effect?

Within minutes, his eyelids are fluttering, most of his weight leaning on Daniel, face resting against his shoulder. Seongwoo’s never felt this tired before, especially with the way Daniel keeps rocking him back and forth.

Wait.

Wait.

He’s been drugged.

Seongwoo’s mouth opens to cry out for help, but only tiny sounds come out, nothing that could be heard over the booming volume of the club. He tries to struggle, but Daniel’s hands are gently strong on his back, keeping him in place.

“Fucker,” Seongwoo manages with his last breath, stepping as hard as he can on Daniel’s toes before falling asleep.

-

He wakes up in a car, tied very gently to the seat with ropes that Seongwoo knows all too well. 

He hisses, trying to activate his ice. It’s as he thought. They’re magic limiting binds, which means that “Daniel” was probably some sort of villain. Damnit. How did he let himself end up in this situation. Seongwoo had thought that he was smarter than this. Apparently, attractive guys really are his weakness.

“Good morning,” a familiar voice greets cheerily. Seongwoo glares over at him, glad that his mouth at least hasn’t been restrained. He lets out a string of curse words long and cruel enough that even Jaehwan would have to acknowledge his prowess. Daniel seems surprised but starts laughing, and it’s then that Seongwoo realizes it.

God damn it. That’s why the asshole’s laugh had sounded so familiar back in the club. He’s Euigeon.

“Are you tracking me or something?” Seongwoo asks. “Why do you always insist on getting in my hair?”

“I’m your fan, hyung!” Daniel, no, Euigeon, replies cheerfully, steering the car down another road. Seongwoo resists the urge to cuss him out again, figuring that’ll get him nowhere. “Doesn’t answer my question.”

“Answering it would spoil the fun,” Euigeon replies, smiling at the road ahead. Seongwoo sighs, slamming his head into the headrest, earning a concerned look from the other. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

Seongwoo ignores the irony of that, instead watching the buildings pass. “Is your name even Daniel? Or was that also just a part of the plan to screw with me?”

“No,” he replies. “My real name is Daniel. Euigeon was my birth name, but I legally changed it. I use it as an alias because it’s not really traceable to me.”

“Now it is,” Seongwoo replies, smirking at him in the rearview mirror. Daniel shakes out his bangs, smiling cheerfully. “I don’t think I really have to worry about that, hyung.”

Seongwoo really wishes he’d stop pretending to respect him.


	2. Like Steam from a Coffee Pot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title again from cher lloyd's superhero (every one will be)
> 
> little filler chap

Irritatingly enough, Daniel seems determined to keep treating Seongwoo as nicely as possible.

He asks at least ten times what kind of music Seongwoo likes, to which he consistently replies by childishly crossing his bound arms and refusing to answer unless Daniel tells him about the “tracking” issue. Eventually, Daniel gives up, which Seongwoo might have felt like gloating about if the other didn’t start playing popular boy group songs instead. 

Sighing, Seongwoo leans his head up against the window, staring out at the buildings that blur past, the voice of one of those pretty boys that Minhyun used to like ringing in his ears. Daniel looks over at him, eyes twinkling. “Need something to eat or drink?” He asks kindly, earning a strange look from Seongwoo. “We can stop by a drive-through.”

“I need to pee,” Seongwoo replies, wondering if it’ll really work. “I’m going to pee my pants if you don’t let me use the bathroom right now.”

Daniel’s mouth opens a little bit more. It seems like he believes it, especially from the concerned pull of his brow. “We’ll stop at that McDonald’s, okay? Try to hold on, please. This isn’t my car.”

“That makes me want to pee my pants even more,” Seongwoo replies testily, receiving a nervous laugh from Daniel, who pulls sharply into the nearest parking space, stepping out of the car. He comes over to Seongwoo’s side, opening the door and helping him out, making Seongwoo bite his lip. “What a gentleman. Would be a lot easier if you took these ropes off.”

Daniel just laughs, causing Seongwoo to grimace, pulling him along in a sort of awkward shuffle towards the fast food restaurant. It looks like Daniel’s really going to make him walk through public looking like somebody’s bondage experiment. 

The second they enter the building, a bell on the door rings, making Seongwoo even more flustered, Daniel’s hand on his back firmly pushing him in the direction of the bathroom. Everyone in the store is looking at them, and although Seongwoo has no idea what city they’re in, it doesn’t lessen his embarrassment. 

Daniel waves at some of the nearby people cheerfully, guiding Seongwoo right into the bathroom. Seongwoo coughs uncomfortably as Daniel follows him in, standing a few feet away. An older man looks over at them with squinted eyes, washing his hands in the sink. Seongwoo wants to ask for help, but figures with Daniel right here, that would probably not end well for either of them.

Goddamnit. Why did Daniel have to follow him into the bathroom? 

Annoyed, Seongwoo does his best moody penguin shuffle towards one of the stalls at the end, definitely not comfortable trying to use a urinal and having Daniel see him piss. It’s not like he even has to go that bad anyway, but Daniel apparently doesn’t even trust him enough to do this much, following him right up to the stall door. Seongwoo glares at him, standing in the entrance.

“Can you, like, not?”

Daniel tips his head, cute smile still on his lips. “What do you mean?”

“I just want to pee, okay? You don’t need to watch me pee. I’m not gonna be able to do anything anyway. Can you just wait for a second?”

Daniel scratches his neck, laughing as Seongwoo clumsily manages to shut the stall door in his face. “Sorry hyung,” he calls past the door. “I didn’t mean to be creepy! I just don’t want you to run away, you know?”

Seongwoo bites his lip when he hears how earnest he sounds. He almost feels bad for scolding him, but then again, no he doesn’t. The bastard literally kidnapped Seongwoo. “Whatever,” he mutters, hearing the outer door close as he struggles to relieve himself. That poor middle-aged man will probably be trying to figure out their exchange for several days. 

Finally, he waddles out, getting quite annoyed by the bindings around his legs, bustling toward the sinks before Daniel can try to apprehend him. For a McDonald’s, the soap is pretty nice smelling, Seongwoo thinks. At least there’s one good thing about this godforsaken experience. Seongwoo can always appreciate some good soap.

“Are you ready?” Daniel asks cheerfully, receiving a sigh from his captive. Seongwoo barely bothers to look up from his shoes as they leave, feeling his cheeks burn as the customers continue staring at them on their way out. “Do you mind if I stop by a drive-through place nearby?” Daniel asks. “I thought you might be more comfortable with it since you wouldn’t have to get out of the car.”

“Why bother asking?” Seongwoo replies, moodily slumping back into his seat in the car. Stupid car, he thinks. There’s even a hula girl on the dash. Daniel shrugs his big shoulders (damn those broad shoulders to hell), brushing some dust off the steering wheel. “I dunno. I don’t want you to be upset.”

“I’m already pretty upset,” Seongwoo replies, refusing to look at the pout that he can see from the corner of his left eye. Daniel seems to think about his answer for a second, finally settling on a response as he pulls out of the parking spot. “I can buy you a hot chocolate if you want. They’re really good, I promise.”

“I don’t want one,” Seongwoo answers petulantly, the humiliation of the McDonald’s still extremely fresh in his mind.

“Well,” Daniel says, voice straining to be heard over the chirpy boys on the radio. “I’ll buy you one anyway, okay? If you don’t want it, I’ll drink it.”

Gnawing on the corner of his cheek, Seongwoo snorts. “Do what you want.”

Daniel seems to cheer up at that, pulling the car into a drive-through only a few buildings down. “One iced coffee!” He tells the machine. “And one of the classic hot chocolates, please!”

“Yes sir,” the machine replies with boredom. “That’ll be 6.70$. Pay at the window.”

Seongwoo shrinks down, flattening his back against the seat when they reach the window in an attempt to disappear. The worker still sees him, of course, and looks concerned, which Seongwoo thinks is almost worse than weirded out. Daniel hands the worker a credit card, tracing his eyes to Seongwoo. “Oh,” he says. “He’s going to a cosplay event. You don’t need to worry about him, right Seongwoo?”

“Yeah,” Seongwoo replies through gritted teeth. “I’m cosplaying as this lame supervillain named Euigeon after he got beaten up really easily by a superhero. It’s a group costume.”

Daniel seems a little taken aback by that, but he chuckles anyway, receiving a nervous smile from the employee as they hand back his card and the drinks. “Thanks,” Daniel calls. “Have a nice day!”

The second the window is rolled up, Daniel looks over at Seongwoo with puppy dog eyes, forcing the hot chocolate between his fingers. “Lame? Beaten up really easily? I’m hurt.”

“Shush,” Seongwoo mutters, staring down at the drink he’s been given. It’s certainly hot, the warmth seeping into his hands more with every second he spends holding it. “At least try it,” Daniel pleads, eyes on Seongwoo in the mirror. Seongwoo sighs, sloppily bringing the cup to his lips and taking a tiny sip. “There.”

“Yay!” Daniel calls out happily. Seongwoo wants to die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwu


	3. Woke up a Villain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another shortish chapter because im trying to update frequently

After what feels like an eternity to Seongwoo, the car finally comes to a halt at its final destination.

He wants to feel relieved that the extended period of small talk is over, but Daniel has also refused to tell him what this place is, so he can’t help but worry. Biting his lip, he stumbles out onto the pavement, Daniel tugging him along steadily with one of the ropes. The more Daniel leads him, the looser the knots around his back become, an unintentional consequence of Daniel trying to be gentler on him. With a few more minutes, Seongwoo thinks he could get them off completely.

Unfortunately, he’s not sure he has that kind of time.

“This place is my home,” Daniel says to Seongwoo, proudly gesturing at the large metal door of what looks to Seongwoo like any other industrial warehouse. There’s some graffiti on the metal sheeting that makes up the walls, mostly harmless things like signatures. Seongwoo can’t help but notice that the ground beneath the nearest one is charred, as if someone (namely Daniel) had tried to scare away a vandalist. 

“It’s… nice,” Seongwoo manages, peering at the fat pigeon that’s wandering close to his shoes. He thinks he manages to come off as genuine from the smile that spreads across Daniel’s face. “Thanks,” Daniel murmurs shyly, punching in a code to open the garage up. Seongwoo tries to catch the numbers, but Daniel’s shoulders get in the way. “The people here raised me. They taught me everything I know.”

Seongwoo doesn’t respond, hesitantly following after the other when Daniel continues to lead him inside. It’s dark, dark enough that he can barely avoid tripping over the scraps of wood and metal that litter the concrete floor. “The people here want to help everyone, hyung. Not just the ones with power or money. Our leader, Jinhyun, he’s going to get rid of the corruption in our government. He’s going to make things better.”

The ropes are not loosening fast enough. Seongwoo swallows, trying to hold back his panic. So these are the lies that Daniel has been fed. “I know you’ll like it here, hyung,” Daniel says, turning to smile at him. “The Association of Heroes will just use you for their agenda. Here, you’ll have the freedom to assist anyone.”

“Daniel.” 

It’s a new voice, one that sounds somewhat familiar, but not recognizable to Seongwoo. He hisses in a breath when he sees the face past Daniel’s shoulders, sees the famous scar down the side of the man’s cheek. It’s Jinhyun, the man that Daniel apparently idolizes, the villain who killed Seongwoo’s older brother. The villain who made him want to become a hero, crying in the park at age seven, his toys forgotten as he watched the people in uniforms swarm the limp body of his only sibling. 

“Jinhyun!” Daniel says excitedly, twitching a little. The movement tugs the ropes a little looser, enough for Seongwoo to wiggle one of his hands free. In the darkness of the warehouse, he knows Jinhyun can’t see the action and Daniel’s back is turned. Please, Seongwoo thinks. Please, talk for just a little bit longer.

“Daniel, what is this?” The older man asks, the scaly tones of his voice sending shivers up Seongwoo’s back, where the scar from his seventh birthday still resides, cut into his skin with those barbaric vines of Jinhyun’s. That’s the problem, Seongwoo thinks. If he tries to attack him, Jinhyun might lash out with his vines, thorny plants that draw out an incredible amount of blood with even one single blow. If Seongwoo gets hit even a single time, he might become incapacitated. As much as he wants to tell himself that he’ll just have to be quick, Seongwoo knows deep down that this isn’t a battle he can win on his own, especially when Daniel is most likely not going to be on his side.

Seongwoo manages to undo one of the knots binding his wrists.

“I brought Ong to join us,” Daniel says cheerfully, as if he can’t sense the fierce undertone in his mentor’s voice. “He’ll be a great asset to the team, I promise. You’ve seen him in action, right?”

Biting the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood, Seongwoo unwinds the second knot.

Only one left.

“Daniel,” the man starts again, voice harsh. “I don’t suppose you brought him right here, not bothering to even attempt to hide the location of this place?”

Seongwoo’s fingers are fumbling on the last pieces of ribbon, barely able to get a grip. 

“Well,” Daniel starts hesitantly, not seeming to have thought of it like that. “He won’t betray us. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“You’re too naive. I’m afraid you’ve become a liability.”

“What?” Daniel asks, just as the last knot comes loose and Seongwoo springs forward, throwing an arm in front of Daniel to deflect the thorned vine that comes straight for the younger villain. It cuts into his bicep, the pain agonizing. “Run,” he commands the other, the bindings finally having fallen loose from his body completely. He can use his ice now, thank the gods.

“How touching,” Jinhyun replies boredly, shooting out another vine towards the two. Seongwoo shoves Daniel aside, generating a spire of ice from the ground to block this one. It’s powerful, snapping the ice in two nearly immediately, but at least it doesn’t hit him. Seongwoo glances at Daniel frantically. Villain or not, kidnapper or not, he’s still a person, and Seongwoo has an obligation to save anyone who needs help.

Plus, he can’t help but remember Daniel’s soft smile in the car when he had handed him that hot chocolate. There’s no way that Daniel can really be a bad person, right? He just needs to get him out of this hellhole, especially with the man on the other side actively trying to kill the both of them. 

“GO!” Seongwoo roars, shoving Daniel toward the the faint wisps of light from the open garage door, making sure to generate a few icebergs between them and Jinhyun, who seems the opposite of deterred. Daniel stays still, shell-shocked. Seongwoo’s breaths pick up speed. There’s no way he’ll be able to move Daniel outside by himself considering the man’s large amount of muscle mass. He especially won’t be able to do it while also defending them from one supervillain, let alone any others that may appear the longer that they linger here.

Still, he can’t just leave him.

“Daniel, please!” Seongwoo yells, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Daniel, you’re going to get hurt! You have to move!”

Jinhyun is getting closer, seemingly taking his time, strolling leisurely in their direction past the detritus of Seongwoo’s crumbled ice formations. He shoots several vines at them at once, the plants curling out from the palms of his hands and the ground simultaneously, all shooting in their direction. Seongwoo yelps, trying to cast up a dome of ice. He’s a few seconds too slow, two of the vines piercing through to scrape open his left shoulder and right cheek. Seongwoo wants to cry from how intense the pain is, but finds his face otherwise occupied when suddenly Daniel’s hand is on his chin, eyes staring at his.

Seongwoo blinks in confusion, own hands trembling as he struggles to maintain what remains of his little ice dome against the onslaught. Is Daniel in on this? What’s going on? 

“You hurt Seongwoo,” Daniel says, voice low. It takes Seongwoo a second to realize he’s not being spoken to when Daniel’s gaze is still so intensely focused on his. Well yeah, he hurt me, Seongwoo wants to blurt. Daniel couldn’t have noticed that two minutes ago?

Before he can say or even think anything else, he’s being dragged from the warehouse in a blaze of heat and smoke, Daniel’s little bursts of flame propelling them forward. Seongwoo doesn’t even think that his feet are on the ground anymore, not when they’re going this fast and his heart is racing so wildly. “What the hell?” Seongwoo yells over the wind, tethered only by Daniel’s arms under his armpits.

“I’m sorry, Seongwoo,” Daniel says, and it almost sounds like he’s sniffling. Seongwoo blinks in shock, trying to crane his neck to glimpse Daniel’s face from where it’s turned away from him. “I don’t know what he was thinking.”

“Hey, uh, it’s okay,” Seongwoo manages to get out despite the wind snatching all the air fro his lungs (and despite the fact that it SHOULD NOT be okay at all. seongwoo should be out of his mind with rage right now, yet isn’t for some reason). “But, you do realize that he’s following us, right?”

Daniel yelps, speeding up even faster than before, which Seongwoo didn’t think was possible. He’s getting dizzy, especially with the amount of blood that he’s losing from those shitty cuts. Still, he has a duty to do, and Seongwoo has always vowed to protect until his last breath.

He squirms in Daniel’s arms, managing to turn himself slightly, glancing behind them to where Jinhyun is sprinting, nowhere near as fast. He’s a few feet lower, locked to the ground. Seongwoo takes a deep breath. It’ll only take one hit to stun him enough for them to get away. He’ll just have to use up his last bits of energy.

As much as he’d like to think that he says something cool or suave, maybe even an impressive one-liner, Seongwoo knows the screech that rips from his lips is anything but, all the shards of ice he can possibly conjure hurtling toward Jinhyun at once. Dodge that, asshole, Seongwoo thinks, smiling in satisfaction when he sees him stumble.

As if sensing that his duty is done, Seongwoo falls unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> villain name is random, not referring to anyone in particular :)
> 
> thank u for reading <3


	4. I'm No Superhero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry :} for slow updates :{

Seongwoo wakes up in a nest of soft sheets and fuzzy blankets, the comforting warmth very familiar.

Oh, he thinks. He’s managed to make it home.

Slowly, Seongwoo blinks his eyes open, staring up at his familiar ceiling, hearing someone stir beside him. It’s Minhyun upon closer inspection, but Minhyun’s not the only one in the room, Daniel’s hunched form tied up in a chair on the other side. Seongwoo’s mouth opens and closes, and then Minhyun’s patting his forehead carefully, checking his temperature.

“He’s not dangerous,” Seongwoo says, not entirely sure why. Maybe he’s just a bit grateful to Daniel for getting them out of that situation earlier, even if Daniel was the reason it happened in the first place. Daniel perks up at the remark, not seeming to have noticed that Seongwoo woke up. He’s smiling at Seongwoo but it’s more subdued than before, the poor guy likely traumatised. 

Minhyun stiffens, hand pausing on Seongwoo’s sweaty forehead. Seongwoo shifts, sending his limb sliding off, much to the other’s irritation. “Seongwoo, do you know who he is?”

“Yes,” Seongwoo replies. “Give him a chance. He saved my ass earlier. The guy’s not that bad, really.”

Minhyun snorts, sitting back, his eyes flickering over Seongwoo. “You really want me to let one of Seoul’s biggest super villains loose in our apartment? Are you crazy, Seongwoo? Did he poison you?”

“You’re as funny as ever, Minhyun,” Seongwoo replies sarcastically, hoping they didn’t do anything bad to Daniel while he was out. “Did you at least treat his wounds?”

“I'm alright, Seongwoo,” Daniel replies, seeming horrified when Seongwoo tries to push himself up to check, falling back to the mattress with a pained shout. Minhyun curses, leaning over him. “Don’t get up so quickly, idiot! Actually, please don’t get up at all. You’re risking tearing in your stitches, which already aren’t the highest quality since I had to do them myself.”

Reluctantly, Seongwoo settles himself back down, glancing at Daniel one more time. “If you don’t let him go,” Seongwoo mumbles. “I’ll stand up right now. Bet.”

Minhyun looks about ready to bite his head off, but stands, walking over to Daniel and removing the ropes from his body as if he’s some sort of piece of dirt, keeping his hands as far from the man’s body as possible. “Don’t try anything,” Minhyun warns him. “Jaehwan’s right outside, I’m nothing to be mocked at, and even Seongwoo can still freeze you like this.”

“I won’t,” Daniel replies calmly, getting up as Minhyun finishes removing the bindings. Minhyun leans away from him, clearly not trusting him at all. Daniel bites his lip, looking down at the floorboards as he slowly walks over to Seongwoo’s bedside, sitting down on the edge of the mattress. Seongwoo smiles at him rather dopily, earning a disgusted look from Minhyun.

Daniel shifts, staring intensely at Seongwoo’s left hand that sits atop his blankets. Seongwoo’s heart twinges. Daniel seems incredibly lost, and Seongwoo can’t help but feel that he would too in his situation. The poor guy had nowhere to go back to, not to mention the betrayal of the person he considered to be like family. Seongwoo tries to swallow down the memories of how he had felt when his brother died.

He slips his hand into Daniel’s after a moment, seeing the other’s shoulders relax. “Hi,” Seongwoo says, ignoring Minhyun’s scoff, earning a hesitant smile from Daniel. “I’m really sorry,” Daniel murmurs. “I thought… I thought that we could help people together. That’s why I was always trying to get your attention and why I dragged you home. You’re my hero.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Seongwoo replies quickly, sensing Daniel’s dropping mood. “And thanks, man, really. This job comes with its hazards. If anything, you’ve helped me more than you’ve hurt me.”

Daniel cocks his head, seeming confused, and then his eyes light up. “A-Are you going to go after them?”

“We have to, Daniel. The people there are bad people, no matter what they told you. You don’t have to worry, though. We won’t hurt them unless it’s absolutely necessary.” Seongwoo uses his most gentle tone, not inserting any sarcasm out of a fear of startling the bunny-like muscled man. 

Daniel is frowning again, and Minhyun coughs from where he stands by the opposite wall. Seongwoo sends him a pointed glance, earning an eye-roll. “They’re not… bad people,” Daniel says hesitantly. “They’re not!”

“Daniel,” Seongwoo starts. “Have you ever heard of the Namsan massacre?”

Slowly, Daniel shakes his head, receiving a very soft sigh from Seongwoo. “Jinhyun killed over thirty innocent civilians, including my older brother, all because he was trying to delay the police in chasing him after a robbery. As much as I want to believe you about them being good people, I cannot, not when such things have occured. Justice must be done.”

Daniel blinks at him, eyes wide. He seems shocked, which Seongwoo supposes is very understandable. “Listen,” Seongwoo mumbles. “We’re not going to do anything right this second. Just think about this and maybe do some research, okay? If you’d agree to help us, I’m sure we’d all be very happy.”

Daniel nods his head, bangs covering his eyes. 

Seongwoo can’t tell what he’s thinking.

**Author's Note:**

> hi pls tell me what u think ily


End file.
